She later gave various excuses for the holidays being cancelled, but she did not repay the deposits

She was sentenced to 156 days jail suspended for 12 months with up to 15 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and ordered to pay £2,875 compensation by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Andrea Fawcett, said Grainger advertised caravan holidays in Fleetwood and took booking and deposits.

The prosecutor said: “She later gave various excuses for the holidays being cancelled, but she did not repay the deposits.”

Grainger defrauded families out of almost £3,000 between June and October 2014.

Stephen Duffy, defending, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had set up a website she called Emma’s Caravans and sold holidays through that, at a time when she and her mother-in-law legitimately had a caravan. At first she had two caravans available and then four but she overbooked them.

She committed the crimes because at the time she had separated from her husband. Their joint benefits claim was in his name and she could not get access to any money.

Grainger was desperate and used the money from the deposits to buy food.